


Be Like Them

by KawaiiBoushi



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, poor baby :c, tiny young nooter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-04
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-06-06 07:23:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6744928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KawaiiBoushi/pseuds/KawaiiBoushi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naoto overhears a conversation her grandfather would rather spare her from, though it is nothing new to her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Be Like Them

Naoto let out a long sigh. “ _Boring._ ” When Grandpa had told her an old friend of his from the police force was going to be visiting for the evening, she had been hoping to hear stories of exciting, death-defying adventures. But dinner had been positively dull, and even after she had been dismissed to go play upstairs, their conversation had yet to pick up.

Perhaps it was because Grandpa knew about the listening devices she had made out of old walkie talkies and stuck around the house. Yes, that had to be it – Grandpa had passed his friend a note informing him that they couldn’t speak freely, and they were having two conversations at once, this one about the other man’s retired life simply being a cover for something much more intriguing. He was a spy, merely _disguised_ as a retired cop, and Grandpa was his only trusted confidant. She would check the shredder later to see if they had been so careless as to dispose of their top-secret communication in a way that she could piece together and find out what his mission was.

“…terribly sorry to hear about your son and daughter-in-law.” When she finally turned her attention back to the voices crackling through the device in her hand, Naoto felt her heart sink. The funeral had been less than a year ago, and thinking about her parents still felt like a fresh wound was reopening inside of her. “Our community has suffered a dreadful loss, as has your family.”

A pause, in which Naoto imagined Grandpa bowing his head. “Thank you. These past months have not been easy on us.”

“Ah, that’s right – they had a child, didn’t they? A daughter, if I recall correctly?”

“Yes. Naoto has been living with me since the accident. I must admit, I fear that an old man like myself will never be able to replace her parents. It has been quite some time since I was responsible for a child of her age.”

“The poor girl, to lose both of her parents at once like that. I imagine this is a difficult adjustment for both of you. And if I may say, it must be disappointing, as well, to know that a lineage as great as your own must end like this.”

Another pause, almost imperceptible. “Excuse me?”

“Well, whether or not your granddaughter marries, the Shirogane name simply can’t be passed on now. She is your only grandchild, is she not? There is no one left to keep your legacy alive.”

Naoto had heard enough. She threw the receiver across the room and watched it snap in two. This did little to make her feel better, however, so she curled up into a ball and tried not to cry. 

This again. How many times would she have to hear it, how many variations? _You brought your granddaughter with you, Shirogane-san? A crime scene is no place for a little girl. Wouldn’t she much rather be at home?_ It wasn’t even just grown-ups. _Go away, you can’t play cops and robbers with us! Go play dolls with the other girls!_

And now…was she really such a disappointment to her family, to Grandpa, just for being born? Would he be happier if her parents had left him a son instead? A terrible thought hit Naoto with a jolt – what if he decided to stop teaching her how to be a detective? Everyone else seemed to think he should never have allowed her to begin assisting him in the first place. What if he told her that she was only a burden, not worthy of being a Shirogane?

Lost in her thoughts, a knock startled Naoto to reality. Heart pounding in trepidation, she sat up and called out, “C-come in.”

The door opened and Grandpa poked his head in. “I just wanted to let you know that my friend left. If you want to watch a movie downstairs, you’re free to…” He paused, frowning at her, and took a few steps closer. “Are you all right?”

Biting her lip, Naoto wrapped her arms around her legs, holding her knees close to her chest. She had to ask – better to rip the bandage off now than to slowly, painfully pull it off later. “Grandpa. Do…do you…ever wish that – that I was – different?” Her voice cracked on the last word. “Did Mom and Dad…?” Unable to keep speaking, she buried her face in her knees so that he couldn’t see the tears roll down her face.

“Oh, dear.” Grandpa made a soft noise of understanding, and she heard his footsteps approach. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think to remove your invention before we moved to the study. You heard our conversation, didn’t you?”

Naoto managed to nod. She felt the bed shift as he sat down next to her, and a few moments later a hand gently came to rest on her back. With a long, tired sigh, Grandpa muttered, “If only your mother was still here.” Raising his voice, he addressed her. “I’m sorry you had to hear that. I’m sorry that this wasn’t the first disparaging remark directed towards you, and I’m sorry that it likely won’t be the last. You’re still so young, and already, you bear such a burden. Of course I am happy that you wish to carry on our family’s heritage, but I wish that you would not have to endure such treatment because of it.”

“Why does everyone think I can’t be a detective?” Naoto rubbed at her eyes with her sleeve. “I learned a lot from Mom and Dad, and I’m even helping you on cases now. If I’m good at it, why does it matter if I’m a girl or if I’m not grown up yet? I just want to be like them, and like you. A great Shirogane detective.”

Grandpa was silent for a long minute, rubbing Naoto’s back as she sniffled. Finally, he asked her, “Has anyone ever told you why the Honda family is no longer willing to collaborate with us?”

Looking up at him, Naoto furrowed her brow. “I don’t know. Mom told me once that they’re pompous airbags with not nearly as many brains between them as they like to think.”

Looking mildly surprised, the old man threw back his head and laughed. “Yes, that does sound exactly like something she would say.” With one last chuckle, he shook his head. “While that statement would not necessarily be wrong, there was an…incident a few years ago, the result of which being that they refuse to so much as associate with us any longer. Shortly after you were born, your parents and I were invited to dinner at the Hondas’ home. Gentarou Honda was an acquaintance that I have tolerated since college, and his son, Shinichiro, was twice as insufferable as he was. Well, dinner had gone as smoothly as could be expected, but just before dessert, Shinichiro made the mistake of asking your parents when they were going to ‘try again’ to produce a ‘more suitable heir.’ Your mother was always warning us that one day she would snap and punch one of her prejudiced peers in the face, but until that moment, I had never witnessed her make good on those words.”

Naoto’s eyes were wide. “Woah,” she whispered.

“Indeed. She spent a good ten minutes yelling at him before your father and I were able to calm her down enough to leave. Unsurprisingly, Shinichiro still has yet to marry, much less produce an heir. I highly doubt that he has been able to solve the mystery of what makes him such an unlikable person.” With a bit of effort, Grandpa pulled her onto his lap and fixed her with a more serious look. “Listen to me, dear. Any preconceived notions I may have once held about who is and is not qualified for our line of work were destroyed years ago, when your father introduced me to your mother. She was one of the smartest, most resourceful detectives I’ve ever known – and I dare say perhaps the better of any male Shirogane, because she had to work twice as hard, being a woman from an unknown family. When your parents had you, they knew your life would likely not be much easier if you chose to follow in their footsteps, but your mother always said that nothing would make her happier than if you overcame every obstacle in your path and became a better detective than both of them put together. A tall order, perhaps, but you are a Shirogane. If that is your goal, then I have no doubt that you can achieve it. You show great potential already, and I have no intention of stifling it simply because ignorant people like Shinichiro Honda think they know best. So, to answer your question, no. I do not wish you were different, and neither did your parents. They loved you very much and only wanted to see you grow up to be happy and proud of who you are, as do I. I will support you no matter what, Naoto.”

Naoto found herself crying softly again, and buried her face in Grandpa’s chest. It simply wasn’t fair – that her parents weren’t here, that they never would be again, that the entire world seemed to be against her. What did anyone else know, anyway? How could anyone say that she couldn’t be a detective when she _knew_ , beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she could? “I’ll show them,” she mumbled to herself, voice muffled.

“What was that?” Grandpa questioned, and Naoto sat back with a hiccup.

“I said,” she started, balling her hands into fists and meeting his gaze with red, determined eyes, “I’ll show them. I’m going to be the best detective in the family – in the world! I’ll be able to solve cases and catch bad guys that no one else can! And no one will be able to say anything bad about me then. They’ll all be sorry they ever thought I wasn’t good enough.”

Grandpa smiled softly, though there was something sad in it as well. “You really are your mother’s daughter. Before long, even I won’t be able to keep up with you.” He quickly kissed the top of her head. “Why don’t we go watch that new movie of yours before bedtime?”

Resisting the urge to blow her nose on her shirt, Naoto asked, “Can we have popcorn?”

“Of course,” Grandpa agreed with a nod. “I’ll ask Yakushiji-san to make some for us. Why don’t you go get it set up, and I’ll be right there?”

Climbing off the bed, Naoto dug through a stack of DVDs on her desk before selecting one and dashing out towards the stairs. Her grandfather slowly followed, taking a moment to cast his gaze around her room. As gifted and capable as she was, Naoto was still a child. Energetic, headstrong, and inventive; still determined to follow her own path despite already facing the obstacles of her mother before her. He could only hope that even as she matured, even as the world told her she had to discard them to be taken seriously, that she would never lose those precious, child-like qualities. Someday, they may be all that would keep her going when a jaded, disenchanted adult who had grown up too quickly might otherwise give up.

“ _Grandpa._ ” A whine came from the door, and Naoto’s head poked inside, impatience written plainly on her face. “Are you coming?”

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry, dear, I get lost in my own thoughts at times,” he apologized with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, I’m right behind you.”

**Author's Note:**

> I like to think that Naoto's mom was a bamf and that's where she gets it from. Also that Naoto was a happy, playful, imaginative little kid before life punched her in the gut and proceeded to kick her repeatedly while she was down. I just really love baby Noot.


End file.
